Court Reporter

SYDNEY doctor Riju Ramrakha freely admits that he is an alcoholic who knowingly prescribed highly addictive medications to patients with long histories of abusing drugs.

The former Balmain GP concedes that, as his lunchtime drinking sessions approached, he would become abusive towards his staff, returning intoxicated in the afternoon and subjecting them to inappropriate sexual comments.

What is in dispute is whether, having been clean for four years and undergone extensive rehabilitation, Dr Ramrakha should be permanently struck off the medical register or allowed to continue working as a doctor.

This is the decision facing the NSW Medical Tribunal this week as it considers nearly 30 complaints of professional misconduct and unprofessional conduct against the middle-aged doctor.

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The most serious of these relate to his prescribing large doses of valium, benzodiazepine and other addictive medications to patients he knew to be already addicted to these or other drugs.

In one case, Dr Ramrakha repeatedly prescribed valium to a patient who was already on a methadone program, drank heavily and had hepatitis C.

''I was enabling those patients' addictions,'' Dr Ramrakha told the tribunal during emotional testimony on Wednesday.

''I think I felt an over-degree of empathy for their stories.''

Dr Ramrakha said that, when his alcoholism was at its worst, he would drink vodka at 4am and then arrive at his Balmain surgery each day sweating on the arrival of lunch so he could start drinking.

''My record keeping at that time was abominable,'' he said. ''I told myself that, as long as I was below the legal blood alcohol limit by the time I went back I was fine. I now realise the only blood alcohol level you can have when practising is zero.''

Dr Ramrakha admitted he was guilty of both unprofessional conduct and professional misconduct.

He said his use of ice and ecstasy was limited to the weekend, but he conceded the use of these substances, along with alcohol, had affected his mental health and behaviour.

The doctor denied a string of other allegations, including that he made unwanted sexual advances towards staff, viewed adult websites while at his practice, and, on one occasion, smoked ice in his consulting rooms.

The tribunal heard he stopped drinking and taking drugs in 2008, a claim reportedly supported by the results of regular blood and urine tests. He has been seeing two psychiatrists and attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings twice a week.

Pending this week's hearing, he has been allowed to work as a general practitioner with strict conditions on what kinds of drugs he can prescribe.

The five-member tribunal panel must now decide whether or not Dr Ramrakha should be allowed to continue practising in this way or be struck off the register permanently.

''I am willing to accept any restriction the tribunal sees fit to impose,'' he said.